Photos / Sounds

What

Observer

Date

Place

(Somewhere...)

Date added

February 07, 2015
11:50 PM PST

Description

This is one of those situations where barcoding would be really useful. As far as I can tell based on the checklists, this is either Helminthoglypta diabloensis, known from a wide swath of montane regions in the East Bay, or H. nickliniana ssp. bridgesii, known from a small region around San Pablo and North Berkeley. Pilsbry describes them both as having 6.5 whorls, both have this kind of sculpture with bumps on the striations, and they seem like they should be the same size (though H. diabloensis might have a slightly more depressed spire), so really all I have to go on is very, very fine scale geography. I bet they're the same species.

Found under a log with the two dead shells that follow on Merritt College campus, on the edge of a stand of coyote bush and a marginally disturbed field. Surrounding area is largely housing, the college buildings, but also oak woodland and chaparral.

Project curator ID

Photos / Sounds

What

Observer

Date

Place

Date added

September 20, 2014
05:48 PM PDT

Description

The Friends of Leona Heights Park each year participates in the annual Coastal Clean Up by cleaning in and around Horseshoe Creek. There exists in the park an extensive graffiti wall that is always littered with used spray cans. This year I was the site coordinator for the event and after wrapping up I was doing a once over to make sure everything and everyone had been accounted for when I noticed this little guy. There are many cracks and crevices in the wall that the painters use and unfortunately for this little dude who calls those cracks and crevices home things don't bode so well. At first I thought it was a toy, but then I was astonished to see it scramble away from me when I went to pick it up. Not a pink elephant, but a pink blue belly, that's something you don't see everyday.

About

To create awareness about the Leona Canyon (Laundry Farm Canyon), the surrounding Caballo Hills and the Arroyo Viejo & Lion Creek watersheds that sprout from them. Two parks, Leona Heights an Oakland city park and Leona Regional Open Space belonging to East Bay Regional Parks occupy a good portion of that land. Situated between these two parks is Merritt College. Creating a working ...more ↓

To create awareness about the Leona Canyon (Laundry Farm Canyon), the surrounding Caballo Hills and the Arroyo Viejo & Lion Creek watersheds that sprout from them. Two parks, Leona Heights an Oakland city park and Leona Regional Open Space belonging to East Bay Regional Parks occupy a good portion of that land. Situated between these two parks is Merritt College. Creating a working resource to measure the diversity found in this canyon would be a valuable teaching tool, but also add to the ability to further project these lands. If you need any information on how to access the canyon or would like a guided tour please feel free to contact me (Christopher Cook) by emailing greenrosettas@gmail.com